Seamless tubular woven fabric



y 1941. F. B LATTER I 2,241,289

SEAMLESS TUBULAR WOVEN FABRIC Filed July 27, 1939 2 SheetsSheet 1 y 6,F. BLATTER 2,241,289

I SEAMLESS TUBULAR WOVEN FABRIC Filed July 27, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented May 6, 1941 SEAMLE SS TUBULAR WOVEN FABRIC -Fritz Blatter,Zofingen, Switzerland, assignor to Fritz Blatter and Max Aeschbach, bothof Zofingen, Switzerland, copartners in a jointstock company, tradingunder name Jhco Aktiengesellschaft vormals J. Hollenweger & Company,Zofingen, Switzerland,.a firm of Canton Aargau Application July 27,1939, Serial No. 286,908 In Switzerland October 24,1938

3 Claims. (01. 139-387) The present invention relates to improvements incorsets, girdles, and similar abdominal supporters.

In womens girdles it is often desirable to reinforce the stomach andabdominal portions of the girdle, in order to secure a good tensesupport. This reinforcement is as a rule accomplished by means of anelastic or inelastic pad sewed on the front side of the girdle. Thegirdle thus reinforced becomes thereby not only unsightly, but thereinforcing pad bulges outward and requires a disagreeable edge seam.

According to the present invention the unsatisfactory condition notedabove is remedied by working a reinforcing insert into the weave of theabdominal supporter at the point to be reinforced in corsets, girdles,and similar abdominal supporters. In the present case, for example, ofan abdominal supporter, such as a woman's girdle made of a fabric inwhich the weft at least is composed of rubber thread, the intendedreinforcement can be effected by inserting a number of multiple rubberweft threads in at least some of the weft courses at the point of thefabric which is to be reinforced, these weft threads being possiblycomposed of single rubber thread or, if required, of rubber thread incombination with some inelastic type of thread.

In the accompanying drawings is shown a specimen embodiment of thesubject of invention in the form of a seamlessly woven girdle.

Fig. 1 shows the same in use;

Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 show diagrammatically a number of different ways ofinserting the rubber weft; and

Figs. 6 and 7 show enlarged details of the weave at the edge of thereinforced area.

The girdle designated as a whole by a in Fig. 1 is made substantially ofa seamless tubular fabric Whose warp may be of fibrous material andwhose weft is of rubber thread. It exhibits an area of reinforcement bextending substantially over the abdominal region and serving thepurpose of elastically retaining this part of the body. This area b isformed by a multiple insertion of rubber weft threads in every weftcourse or in only some of the weft courses, which insertion is intendedto give an increased tension at these points and thus to be able to giveshape to the part of the body lying thereunder. The reinforcementextends over all or the greater part of the vertical width of thegirdle. The upper and. lower bands 0 and d are of normal type of weave,the lower band d having mounted on it in known manner means e, e for thesuspension of stockings. It may, however, also occur that thereinforcement extends all the way to the upper edge of the girdle.

Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 show various possible ways I of guiding the rubberthread a so as to produce a fabric with an area of reinforcement. Thezone designated by h exhibits the normal type of weave occurring in oneor the other or both bands 0 and d with one rubber weft thread g to eachweft course, while within the zone 2' a weave which forms an area ofreinforcement throughout the width b is used. The weave shown in Fig. 2contains within the zone 2 a double weft thread g2 of rubber to everysingle weft course within the area of reinforcement. The weave shown inFig. 3 contains within the same zone a triple weft thread g3 of rubberto each set of several single weft courses, while in the weave shown inFig. 4 two successive double weft threads 4 of rubber alternate with aset of several single rubber weft threads gl. In the weave of Fig. 5 twosuccessive upper double rubber weft threads g4 are followed by a singlerubber weft thread 9!, a double rubber Weft thread g2, a single rubberweft thread gl, and so on in continual alternation.

The relation of the number of single rubber weft threads to the numberof multiple rubber weft threads in the area of reinforcement can, ofcourse, vary. On this particularly will depend the degree ofreinforcement.

Fig. 6 shows the double rubber thread 92 in each course within thereinforced area b for a single thread gl in each course in the normalarea adjacent the reinforced area, with the warps w, w composed solelyof inelastic threads, while Fig. 7 shows the same arrangement as in Fig.6 but using rubber warps r, r in combination with the inelastic warps w,w.

The warps w, .w are interwoven with the elastic .wefts g in an ordinaryplain weave with a doup warp wl binding the group of several warps wtogether laterally to provide and maintain open spaces s whereby thefabric is rendered porous.

The warps w and wl are actuated to produce open sheds for reception ofthe elastic weft g which, in making a circular seamless garmentaccording to the present invention, is laid in the direction of thearrowhead and tail in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, i. e. where single elasticwefts solely are to be incorporated, the weft layer travels continuouslyin one direction as the warp shed opens and closes ahead and behind itbut where a plurality of wefts are to be laid in a course the weft layerreverses its direction of movement as required to lay the desired numberof rubber wefts in each course while the warp shed opens and stays up toreceive the multiple wefts and the doup warps w operate to tie rubber inat the reverse turns it along the edges of the reinforced area 1).

Obviously the warp arrangement may vary to suit the type of fabricdesired in either a porous or close weave without departing from thespirit circumferentially extending wefts formed of arubber strand whichwithin a certain number of picks included in :a certain area less thanone half the circumference of the fabric is doubled back upon itself atleast twice to increase the.

length of said rubber strand contained in said area as compared to otherareas of the fabric of equal dimensions, whereby the fabric portionhaving the doubled-back rubber weft will have 25 greater resistance tocircumferential stretch.

2. A seamless tubular woven fabric comprising longitudinally extendingwarps interwoven with a circumferentially extending rubber strand whichin adjacent pairs of successive picks included within a certain arealess than one half the circumference of the fabric is doubled back uponitself first in one direction and then in an opposite direction toincrease the length of said rubber strand contained in said area ascompared to other areas. of the fabric of equal dimensions, whereby thefabric portion having the doubledback rubberweft will have greaterresistance to circumferential stretch.

3. A seamless tubular Woven fabric comprising longitudinally extendingwarps interwoven with circumferentiall'y extending wefts formed of arubber strand which within a group of three successive picks included ina certain area less than one half the circumference of the fabric istwice doubled upon itself to increase the length of said rubber strandcontained. in said area of the. fabric as compared to other areas ofthe. fabric of equal dimensions, whereby the fabric portion. having thedoubled-back rubber weft will have greater resistanceto circumferentialstretch.

FRITZ BLATTER.

